What are you afraid of? I’ve heard it said that at the root of every fear is the fear of losing control. But none of us are ever really in control. God alone is in control.
In last week’s post, we began our discussion about fear, and we will continue our series on fear for the next few weeks. If we’re completely honest, we all have fears. See if you identify with any of these:
1. Fear of the future
Have you ever said or thought, “What if this happens?” or “What if this doesn’t happen?” Our fear of the “what if’s” paralyzes us from stepping out in faith and taking some risks. No, we don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we do know who sits on the throne and who is ultimately in control of tomorrow. To overcome fear of the unknown, we must be willing to walk by faith, not always knowing what’s around the corner, but trusting God’s leading one day at a time.
2. Fear of failure
I fear failure – failure in my job, failure as a writer, failure as a Bible teacher, just to mention a few areas. We may fear failure in our work, our marriage, our parenting, a responsibility we’ve taken on, or an endeavor we want to pursue.
But what if we do fail? Is it the end of the world, or can God use our failure for good? I can tell you from personal experience I have failed, and it is not the end of the world. God has used my failures to strengthen me and to help me improve in certain areas. He has used my failures to show me pride and self-sufficiency in my life, which I was oblivious to until I failed. He has used my failures to redirect me.
Don’t let fear of failure paralyze you from stepping out in faith. And if you do fail, don’t let that failure devastate you. God is still in control, and He can use all things to work together for good. Learn from your failures. Be willing to take risks.
3. Fear of loss
Perhaps you fear losing someone you love or a material possession you don’t think you could live without. Maybe you fear losing your health, or your independence, or your usefulness.
I saw this fear materialize in my mom’s life as she feared losing her independence when we moved her to an assisted living and “took away” her car. Yes, it was hard for her at first, but she soon came to appreciate the freedom from responsibility in her new home and didn’t miss the stress of driving around town at 91 years old!
We overcome the fear of loss by keeping everything in the open palm of our hand, allowing God to take it if that is best for us. God always provides.
Join in the conversation. These are only three of many fears. What are some other common fears we face and why? What fear are you facing today? How are you overcoming that fear?
